RCH Brewery "Pitchfork" English Bitter, England 16.9 oz

SKU #1049729

Pitchfork Bitter, where have you been my whole life. All that time wasting beer space on Boddingtons, the only half real English bitter you can find with any regularity, could have been spent searching out this gem of a beer. This pours a thick creamy head, but it doesn't need a damn widget to do so. The head domes over the beer creating a fluffy cloud pocked by bubbles. Golden orange beer sits protected and happy underneath. Lacing is everywhere sticking like wheat paste to some damn hippie's reggae show flyer. The smell of this is pure English pub, slightly musty from the mild hops, somewhat biscuity from the malt and with just a touch of citrus to give lift and dimension. The flavors are off the charts, in a non-extreme beer sort of way. This is never going to crush ones palate. Instead it refreshes and livens with the drying butter cracker malt and lingering orange flesh and lemongrass flavors. This is wildly complex but is not something that is going to blow your mind, unless you pay close attention. The earthy, mushroom-y character here is incredibly pleasing and plays nicely into is mild bitterness. I love the carbonated yet creamy mouthfeel of English bitters, especially when you can get it without the cheating widget. I don't need my beer to taste like it came from a cask, unless it actually does.This is like a mousse, a delicious bitter mousse, substantial but airy, never feeling heavy on the palate. The flavors are spot on for the style. (Bryan Brick, K&L)